Hello! My name is Traci, and I blog at Beneath My Heart!
I am so excited to be participating in Jamielyn’s awesome Crazy Christmas Crafters series.
I checked out all the posts from last year, and they were amazing. It’s going to be fun to see all the new ideas this year.
Today, I want to share with you an easy craft that I made in just about an hour.
Lately, I have had this obsession with upholstery tacks.
I made a magnet board for my boys’ room with them, and I loved the way it turned out.
So I started wondering what type of Christmas craft I could make with those upholstery tacks. I came up with this Christmas tree art for under $4.00! (I didn’t have to purchase all the supplies because I had some of them leftover from previous projects.)
{ Christmas Tree Art }
First of all, I bought this wooden plaque for 50 cents from Hobby Lobby.
Then I spray painted the plaque with some Krylon Satin Dover White that I had left over from another project. You could use any off white paint you may have at home.
Then I hammered in some bronze upholstery tacks that I bought from Lowe’s for $1.30. I used less than two boxes.
Nailing in the tacks takes some practice. I had to draw a thin pencil line down the middle of the plaque to help me keep my lines straight.
The tacks are not perfectly lined up, but good enough. 
I left a space at the bottom of the tree for my red ribbon.
Then I used my StazOn Ink (that I already had) and stamped “Blessings” at the bottom of the plaque.
I got the “Blessings” stamp a few weeks ago in the dollar bins at Michael’s.
Next, I hot glued some jute string to the top of the plaque so I could hang it on a wall or tree, and I hot glued my red ribbon on.
I loved the way it turned out, but it looked a little too “new” to me. I love the look of old, vintage types of decorations.
So I used my sanding sponge and sanded down the edges of the plaque.
But since the plaque was pine, you couldn’t really see where I sanded it, and it didn’t have that vintage look I was after.
So I used some Valspar Mocha glaze (that I have had for about two years!), and applied it to the sanded edges with a Q-tip and wiped it off with a paper towel.
It made the plaque look soooo much better!
That’s it!
I took it outside and hung it on a tree because the weather is gorgeous here in KY today!
I love my sweet little plaque!
It is such a great reminder of all the blessings that Christmas holds.
They have smaller plaques at Hobby Lobby if you would like to make a similar smaller ornament, or use it for a gift tag. I thought you could even do a monogram plaque as a gift!
Thank you for letting me share my project with
you, and I wish you all the Christmas Blessings
your hearts can hold!
Come see me sometime!
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and managing editor of iheartnaptime.net. She is married to her best friend and together they have two beautiful children just under two years apart. Her days are filled with lots of snuggles, crafts, e-mails, avoiding the ever-growing pile of laundry, play dough, sneaking bites of chocolate and wondering, “Is it nap time yet?!” I Heart Nap Time is a creative site sharing DIY home projects on a budget, crafts, sewing tutorials, easy recipes, tips and techniques.
Sarah Scott
Love this! I think these ornaments will make great gifts for my bible study ladies. Thanks to much for the tutorial. They are really lovely.
Sarah Scott recently posted..Tell Me a Story- Big Party
Jamielyn
Love this idea!! I’m definitely going to try this… I’ve got a whole package of those tacks! Thanks again for participating in the CCC Event!
Becky D
I love this little Christmas tree ornament! What an amazing idea Traci! Can’t wait to see what other Crazy ideas coming up on this series :)
Terry Moore
Really cute!
Terry Moore recently posted..Lucky Day!
Alison
I love this!! Gorgeous!
Alison recently posted..A is for Apples Wrap Up
shirley wheaton-spann
Thank you for sharing that simple yet elegant design. There’s something magical about the aged, vintage look; I think it says to me that there are some things worth keeping and cherishing.
Lauren
I love this idea! I didn’t know upholstery tacks were so inexpensive. I’ve been trying to think of a way to make an ornament for my cousin who is getting married in a few weeks, so this has me thinking, especially with the monogram idea. Thanks :)
Lauren recently posted..Metal Lawn Chairs & Help for a Reader
Linda Slattery
Hi Traci, What a cute project and a great last minute gift idea. I think I also have some upholstery tacks hiding somewhere in my house. Time for a treasure hunt!! Thanks for sharing the idea. Linda S. in NE
Paula DeVore
So pretty! I will definetly make a few of these for neighbors and family this year. Thank you for the how to’s.